New area to watch for development designated in Atlantic as tropical wave will move off Africa next week
The NHC is currently giving this area low odds of developing over the next seven days.
Area to watch designated in the Atlantic Ocean
The National Hurricane Center has designated a new area to watch for tropical development. The area is located deep in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. The agency is giving this area low odds of development over the next seven days.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has designated a new area to watch for tropical development during the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.
The area is located deep in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. The tropical wave is expected to move off the west coast of Africa on Tuesday.
Some development of this system is possible through the middle to end of next week as the disturbance moves across the Atlantic.
The National Hurricane Center has designated a new area to watch for tropical development during the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.
(FOX Weather)
As these waves move into the Atlantic, they will be met by several factors that will determine whether tropical development will occur, including Saharan dust, unfavorable upper-level winds, and water temperatures.
The NHC is currently giving this area low odds of developing over the next seven days.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently issued their updated 2026 Atlantic hurricane outlook, where they stated they estimate 7 to 13 named storms to form this season, 2 to 6 hurricanes, including up to two reaching Category 3 strength or higher. Those ranges include Tropical Storms Arthur and Bertha, which formed in the Gulf earlier this summer.
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Government forecasters said they expect a very strong El Niño climate pattern to last through this fall, creating atmospheric conditions that will suppress tropical development in the Atlantic Ocean.
El Niño, one of three phases of a climate cycle called the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO),describes natural temperature changes in the central Pacific Ocean that alter atmospheric circulation and can greatly influence global weather.
Windy day at the beach.
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During El Niño, above-average water temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean alter the position and strength of the subtropical jet stream. It's typically more robust and extends well into the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean. The jet stream is a belt of very fast winds high in the atmosphere.
Stick with FOX Weather as this story continues to develop.